Faith like a child

Our adoption experience has been so profound for our family, including our children.  Not only do we want to love our new baby girl, Della, we also want our children to care for others in a BIG way. I am excited to see how our children will multiply this experience.


The other week Josey says, "I want to be two things when I grow up, a farmer of animals and go to Africa and bring home 100 kids who don't have moms and dads".

Emma came to me with a very involved budget she calculated to determine how long it would take for her to raise money for children in orphanages by selling soaps she will hand make to people here in the states.  

Last week, at breakfast, we were talking about appreciating the food that we have even if it's not our favorite.  And we shouldn't complain because some children, like those in the orphanage Della came from, won't get but one meal today.  Wyatt says, "Mom, why can't we just take big trucks of food, drive up to the door and dump it at the orphanages, then no one would be hungry".

Two days ago Eli was taking rocks from the driveway and breaking them apart to find beautiful sparkling minerals.  He asked if 1 cent was too much to ask when he sold them, I told him he should ask for at least 10 cents each.  He sold as many as he could to me and his siblings.  Yesterday he got his siblings involved and they all mined for minerals.  Last night he told me he wanted to give all the money he earned to a "5th World Country", I kindly corrected him, "You mean a 3rd World Country?"  All the children excitedly agreed they would use the money they earned to buy school supplies for the orphans in Africa.


Kids think the impossible is possible.  I'm sure you've heard the saying "Faith like a child".  Their thoughts and ideas are not hindered or squashed until someone else (usually an adult) tells them it's not possible.  I've thought lately, instead of telling them "You can't do that, it's not that easy", how about asking "How can I help you do that?"  If only we, as adults, were willing to say "yes" like a child, how many could we show love to?  How few orphans there would be!

I'm not sure where this journey will end, if there is an end.  I am excited....scared.....willing.  I know God speaks to me through my children.  I think He is reminding me to have a perspective like that of my children.    

Matthew 19:26 "Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

HAIR!!!

When we first talked about adopting from Africa, I was very concerned about how I would handle a little girl whose hair is so different from mine.  My friend, who, at the time was in the process of adopting her 2 newest boys from Africa told me, "You probably won't get a girl, more people prefer to adopt them".  So I was not so worried about the hair, I could just shave it or keep it really short on a boy.  Yeah, God has a good sense of humor.  We said we would take a boy or girl, whoever needed a home.  So, here I am, as we are anywhere from a month to several months away from bringing our little girl home, FREAKING OUT about my abilities to do her type 4 hair.  Within days of receiving Della's referral I found a mom with a daughter just like mine who created a website on everything about chocolate hair.

http://www.chocolatehairvanillacare.com/

I look back over the past years and see how God had planned placing Della in our family and has prepared us for her arrival in little ways.  Her hair and skin will require special care.  I don't think it's a coincidence that my hair went from totally straight to gradually becoming curly after the birth of my third child.  I had to start a different hair routine and found the "no-poo shampoo" (no sulfate shampoo, no silicone products) through a friend of mine who has had beautiful curly hair all her life.  I had no idea how much work went into curly hair!  Anyway, it turns out the "no-poo shampoo" is what is used on chocolate hair.  (Isn't it interesting my hair is becoming straight again.)  I have had 4 biological children with eczema and I myself have dealt with it.  You have to be vigilant with moisturizers and vaseline to keep it under control.  And wouldn't you know, that's how I have to treat Della's type of skin! 

Now, as I walk through the stores or in town, I take notice of the neat and tidy hair styles of little chocolate girls.  I tell myself, "I can do this".  And if I can't, I'm willing to ask those little girl's mom's for advice :).  Della's foster mom is prepping Della as her hair grows more each month.  It's long enough for tiny braids:

first braids